Album review: BURNING RAIN – Face the Music

BURNING RAIN- Face the Music

Release Date 22.03.19

Burning Rain have had a rather stop start career, this being their fourth release but only the second since 2001. In that time guitarist Doug Aldrich has raised his profile with stints with Dio, Whitesnake and latterly Dead Daisies, but here he is reunited with singer Keith St John, himself newly recruited to a reformed Kingdom Come line up.

Interestingly the album begins with perhaps its two least accessible tracks, in the slow, dirty grind of ‘Revolution’ and ‘Lorelei’, though the latter is a grower with a great mid-song solo and Keith sounding oddle like Steven Tyler.

The Aerosmith vibe is even stronger on ‘Nasty Hustle’, trotting along on a bluesy licks of the sorts that the Boston greats have long forgotten how to write, and the comparison recurs again on the title track and ‘Hit and Run’.

‘Midnight Train’ and the swaggering ‘Beautiful Road’ have a more commercial feel than I remember from their previous albums, while in more adventurous style ‘Shelter’ begins in acoustic blues style with some very Zeppelin-esque moments before the power chords cut through mid-song.

Closest in style to Whitesnake is ‘If It’s Love’,  a lush ballad with a spacious feel and smooth and soulful vocals from Keith, while ‘Hideaway’ sees a side of Burning Rain I’d not heard before, with the grooves reminiscent of late seventies/early eighties period Stones.

 While the Zeppelin-isms that characterised their earlier albums are less prominent this time, album closer ‘Since I’m Loving You’ does tip its hat to them, also reminding me of Badlands and other bands of that generation who rediscovered metal’s bluesier roots.

The quartet,  now rounded off by a new rhythm section in former Slaughter drummer Blas Elias and Y and T bassist Brad Lang are in lively and energetic form, helped by a sharp production.

 While wearing its influences a touch too obviously on its sleeves, this is an enjoyable album of strong songs. In fact, in between band members other commitments it represents their best chance yet of making a sustained breakthrough.  ****

Review by Andy Nathan


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 25 February
Next session: Sunday 14 April

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 25 February 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 27 February 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 4 March 2024

COLLATERAL Glass Sky (Big Shot Records)
THE ZUTONS Pauline (ICEPOP)
THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS Rise Above It All (Mascot)
MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY From Here To The Moon (indie)
THE BLACK VULTURES Never Say (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 4 March 2024

09:00-12:00 LEE AARON Tattoo Me (Metalville)
12:00-13:00 THE END MACHINE The Quantum Phase (Frontiers)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply